Demand For Ethanol Stimulates Food Vs. Fuel Debate Among US Farmers

According to the US Department of Agriculture, farmers are anxious to cash in on the demand for ethanol. So much so, that soy and cotton will be taking a back seat to corn-growing to the tune of 13.5 billion bushels.

The food vs. fuel debate among growers has intensified because the US Government has legislated that ethanol be used as a â€œblender with conventional petrol,â€ causing a surge in demand for the product.

It is expected that Brazilian and Argentine growers will produce more soy to off-set the void created by US farmers. The trade-off is the US will pay more for animal feed made from imported soy.

Over the last three years, I have noticed a rise in the price of corn at my local roadside market during harvest season. In 2004, ears of sweet corn were priced at $2.50 a dozen; in 2005 the price went up to $3.00; last summer corn hit an all-time high of $3.75 a dozen. This year, I'm ordering corn seeds out of the Burpee Seed catalog, till in some cow dung, grow it myself, and have it for 50 cents a dozen, with a little left over for moonshine.